Episode 78: Who are the pilgrims riding from Spain to Makkah on horseback, reviving an Andalusian tradition?

In this episode of Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews trace the journey of pilgrims who rode all the way from Spain to Makkah on horseback. The riders crossed 6,500km over seven months to arrive at the holy site in time for Hajj. Inspired by a promise that one of them made to himself 36 years earlier, the journey recreates the Andalusian tradition performed by Muslims 500 years ago. Enas and Farah reflect on the pilgrims’ role in representing their faith and community to the world. The hosts also discuss the South Asian and Arabic influences in western pop music and hip-hop. The latest example is Sapphire, a new song by Ed Sheeran in which he sings a line in Punjabi. But he is certainly not the first. Our hosts recall some of the big hits from artists such as Jay-Z, Britney Spears and Aaliyah that have sampled tracks from the region, and they pose the question, where do we draw the line between collaboration and appropriation? Editor’s Note: We want to hear from you! Help us improve our podcasts by taking our two-minute listener survey. Click here.